Sweet Baby Girl

My youngest daughter will be turning EIGHT in about 10 days. For some reason the number 8 seems SO, SO grown up to me. I'm feeling a little sentimental lately about how quickly the girls are growing! For the last couple of years I've been saying how much I absolutely LOVE the ages they are at right now ... and now those ages are coming and going way too fast for me. :(

In some ways though, my youngest is still very much my baby. She's still full of innocence and at times still acts much more baby-ish than an almost 8 year old. I don't mind though - I want her to stay young and childish as long as possible and enjoy just being a kid without having to grow up too fast.

Today she learned to tie her shoes for the first time. I know many of you are thinking 'what??!! she's almost 8 and didn't know how to tie her own shoes??' ... and yes, you'd be right. We have tried and tried and tried with her and it's one of those things that she just tried and quit and tried and quit and pretty much wanted to stay little and let someone else do it. But today she finally mastered it and I'm so proud of her!

Another thing I want to remember about these days is bedtime. My husband and I still sing songs to the girls each night before bed - Bob sings them 2 songs and then I sing them 2 {different} songs. He sings the same two every night and I sing the same 2 every night. We've been doing this every night since they were babies and they still ask for it every night. If we forget, they remind us. They love having their bedtime songs from Mom and Dad. I often wonder when they will feel they are old enough that they won't want songs at bedtime anymore.

Also every night at bedtime {well almost every night}, Joy will ask me 3 questions:
1. Mama, can you sleep with me? {I answer no.}
2. Well then can I sleep with you? {I answer no again.}
3. Can I sleep in Hope's room then? {No sweetie, you need to sleep in here in your own room.}

She doesn't make a big deal of it, she doesn't cry or fuss over my answers or give me a hard time. She just sweetly asks me the same things every night.

Tonight I went to tuck her in. She moved over and told me 'I made room for you to lay with me'. So I did. She then went through her usual questions. I said 'why do you want me to sleep with you?' And she said 'because then you can be near me'. I said, 'but then Daddy will be lonely if I don't sleep with him' and her reply cracked me up, 'Daddy can sleep with Big Bear'. hahaha

She really is my sweet, sweet girl. I love that she loves me so much that she wants me to sleep with her every night, that she loves to snuggle in my lap and that she just wants to be near me. I pray that as she grows she will always feel this close to me and will always love spending time with me. I am so thankful for my little sweetheart and want to remember these days forever.